By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post Sports
GARDEN CITY, Kan. - Hays High opened up Western Athletic Conference play with a trip to Garden City on Friday night.
Hays High won with a normal looking score of 21-14, but the teams found an abnormal way of getting there.
Hays High's Kade Simon picked off a pass off from Garden City on the first play of the game. The Indians marched 66 yards on 11 plays to score the only touchdown for either team in the first half. Joey Dintino punched the ball into the end zone from a yard out. Hays never got the point after attempt in the air after a foiled snap.
Gabe Atherton recovered a Garden City fumble after the Buffaloes moved into Hays territory on their next drive. Hays took over on their own 27 and moved to the plus side of the field, but penalties canceled a third down conversion. Forced to punt on the next play, the Indians netted just eight yards on the punt.
Garden City took over on their own 41, converted on a fourth down but made it no further than the Hays 46 yard line. Their punt was downed at the one yard line. A bad snap rolled through the back of the end zone on the first play of the Indians' drive for a 6-2 score with 4:32 left in the first half.
The Buffaloes spent the remainder of the half with the football, making it to the five yard line. Their next two plays went for negative yards on tackles by Atherton and Jace Dreher. A pair of incomplete passes by Garden City ended the half. Simon broke up the second of two passes on the final play of the first half.
Hays opened the half with a touchdown scoring drive. The Indians marched 64 yards on 8 plays, capped by a 15 yard run by Braxton Basgall. The Mason Zimmerman extra point put Hays on top 13-2 with 8:49 left in the third quarter.
Garden City answered back 12 seconds later. The Buffaloes returned the kickoff for a touchdown. Their two point conversion failed when it was intercepted in the end zone by Jace Dreher for a 13-8 score.
Hays punted on their next drive, leaving a short 44 yard field for Garden City. The Buffaloes capitalized with a six play drive that ended with a five yard touchdown pass. Their two point conversion failed leaving Garden City with their first lead of the night at 14-13 with 3:17 left in the third quarter.
Hays responded back, marching 65 yards on six plays to regain the advantage. Archer Amrein scored on a 10 yard run. Hays went for two points and converted when Dintino found Isaac Loving for a 21-14 lead with 1:00 left in the third.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter. Garden City drove to the Hays 27 but turned the ball over on downs, punted after losing seven yards on three plays and turned the ball over on downs a second time in the fourth quarter at the Hays 35 yard line.
Hays gained a pair of first downs to preserve the 21-14 victory.
Hays returns home for three of their next four games. The Indians play host to the Blue Aces of Wichita East next Friday.